Brief
Following the success of their work for Boots with the No7 brand, Checkland Kindleysides was commissioned by Boots, to create two new formats for the Ruby & Millie brand which would reflect the core essence of the Ruby and Millie brand ‘stylish expertise for everyday’ and reinvigorate the brand. The brand was launched exclusively in Boots in 1998

Target Consumers
With a heritage based on make-up artistry, the brand is targeted primarily at ‘image enthusiasts’ & ‘cosmopolitans’: with a stylish, fashionable mindset, they are demanding consumers who will pay more for a good brand.

Overview
We have created a distinctive look to reflect the core essence of Ruby & Millie, a brand that is innovative, experimental and sophisticated as well as being accessible to everyone.

To create credibility and authority we wanted to capture the two personalities behind the brand; make-up artist Ruby Hammer and industry expert Millie Kendall. This was achieved through the creation of merchandising unitary, which is more reflective of the Ruby & Millie brand. There are over 200 products in the Ruby & Millie range, all specifically formulated to suit the consumer and the make-up artist in us. Given the scale of the range it was very important to improve the shopability of the units and ensure that they were easy to maintain.

Design Detail
Ruby & Millie’s passion for colour is synonymous with the brand. We wanted to reflect the vast colour range of their products within the design and used the colour spectrum as one of the signature elements of the unitary. This was integrated into the headers behind the backlit cut-out Ruby & Millie brand logo and it is also applied to the mirror, creating a sense of the brand’s colour range.

The ampersand used from the Ruby & Millie identity has been used to create a contemporary and stylish ‘wallpaper’ pattern that is unique to the Ruby & Millie brand:- printed onto mirror this adds texture to the unitary.

Beacon
The beacon creates visual impact and brand awareness in the fashion brand area of the Boots store, projecting Ruby & Millie as an authority among make-up artist brands. The beacon form is reflective of the ‘tall and slender‘ packaging and the transparent header echoes the packaging’s clear cap detail. The larger format unitary also houses an inset screen which will run the Ruby & Millie brand narrative movie.

Merchandising
The units are split vertically into four areas: Base, Face, Color and Tools. At the foot of each is a storage drawer, embossed with the category title and a quote from Ruby & Millie describing the range and providing a guide through the products.

The unit is split into 2 bays, each framed with a black surround and a translucent back-lit white interior which provides contrast to the colourful product range.

Navigation is simple and straightforward. The product layout reflects the initial ‘tall and slender’ vision, using strong vertical merchandising blocks created where possible, creating a point of difference as most cosmetics brands display their ranges horizontally. The layout is particularly evident through eyes and nails where strong vertical colour blocks reflect the vast colour spectrum in the Ruby & Millie range. The clear merchandising and the sense of space around the products allows for full appreciation of the colours in their range.

At the end of this furniture, ‘Tools’ are displayed. Many other brands sell make-up tools but these are generally sold within a separate dedicated area in-store. As Ruby & Millie is the brand of make-up artists the tools are an integral part of their offer so it was essential to include them with their own branded display.

The Cosmetic Table
The cosmetic table works hard for the brand, recreating the excitement of the make-up artistry behind Ruby & Millie through product, lifestyle and fashion photography. Here consumers are encouraged to test products and get more involved with the brand so that they can get the Ruby & Millie look.

The new design provides a strong brand statement and gives greater clarity to the product offer, making it more accessible to a wider audience.

"We wanted to create a stylish and contemporary look for the brand that supported the strong colour range and product innovation associated with the brand. Customers told us that the previous merchandising lacked impact, was difficult to shop and didn’t show the great products off, so we knew the merchandising needed to work hard to address these issues.

The new design works brilliantly in store, signing the Ruby & Millie brand and delivering a sense of excitement and theatre befitting the Fashion Brand area of the store". - Karen Rees, Operations Manager, Beauty Operations, Boots

The new merchandising unitary has been launched into over a hundred Boots stores.

Update: November 2007
Checkland Kindleysides work with Ruby and Millie has won gold in its category and the overall show gold for display of the year at the POPAI Awards. It also then went on to win Gold in the Retail and Interiors category at the DBA Design effectiveness awards.

About Checkland Kindleysides
Founded in 1979, we are one of the largest design consultancies within the UK. Our offer spans a broad range of design disciplines including graphic communication, identity, retail, interior and interactive design. We work in partnership with both local and global brands across a diverse range of market sectors.

Contact Checkland Kindleysides